Productivity For Dummies

Productivity For Dummies

by Ciara Conlon
Released March 2016
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119099529

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Book description

Take your productivity to the next level and make the most of your time!

Do you have too much to do and not enough time to do it? Don't we all! Productivity For Dummies shows you how to overcome this common problem by tackling key issues that are preventing you from remaining focused and making the most of your time. This insightful text gets to the root of the problem, and shows you how to identify and analyse the items on your to-do list to deliver on deadlines and maximise your schedule. Numerous techniques and technologies have been developed to address productivity needs, and this resource shows you which will work for your situation.

Productivity is crucial to your success - whether you want to find a new job, earn a promotion you've had your eye on, or generally progress in your career, understanding how to improve your productivity is essential in increasing the value you bring to your organisation. At the very least, increased productivity means that you get things done faster—which translates into fewer overtime hours and more time concentrating on the things that are most important to you.

  • Eliminate procrastination and laziness from your daily routine
  • Organise your work environment to create a space conducive to productivity
  • Increase your concentration and stay focused on the task at hand
  • Make decisions quickly, and stay cool, calm, and collected no matter what the situation is

Productivity For Dummies helps you solve the age-old problem of having too much to do and not enough time to do it.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part I: Getting Started with Productivity
      1. Chapter 1: What Is Productivity?
        1. Understanding the Importance of Productivity
        2. Checking Out Sources of Productivity
        3. Discovering Why Productivity Matters to You
        4. Moving Forward – Ready, Steady, Go
      2. Chapter 2: Finding the Motivation to Change
        1. Discovering Your Reasons to Change
        2. Setting Goals to Get What You Want
        3. Conquering the Obstacles
      3. Chapter 3: The Benefits of Productivity
        1. Finding the Personal Benefits of Productivity
        2. Embracing Business Benefits
        3. Harnessing Employee Benefits
        4. Reaping Business Benefits
        5. Nurturing Productivity with Happiness and Positivity
    4. Part II: Getting Organised for Action
      1. Chapter 4: Getting Organised
        1. Clearing the Way
        2. Living in an Organised Home
        3. Getting Organised at the Office
      2. Chapter 5: Embracing a Holistic Approach
        1. Increasing Productivity with Exercise
        2. Adopting Meditation and Mindfulness
        3. Nourishing Your Body
        4. Working with Your Energy Flow
        5. Rising Early to Succeed
      3. Chapter 6: Stress Management
        1. Recognising the Signs of Stress
        2. Identifying Possible Sources of Stress
        3. Reducing Stress
        4. Managing Work Stress
        5. Reducing Employee Stress
    5. Part III: Applying Productivity Techniques
      1. Chapter 7: Learning to Focus
        1. Identifying Your Focus
        2. Focussing Like a Monk
        3. Refocussing: What You Need to Stop Doing
        4. Making New Habits for Focussing
      2. Chapter 8: Avoiding Procrastination
        1. Understanding Procrastination
        2. Beating Procrastination
        3. Discovering Good Procrastination
      3. Chapter 9: Good Time Management
        1. Keeping Track of It All
        2. Prioritising
        3. Managing Interruptions
      4. Chapter 10: Getting Things Done (GTD)
        1. Introducing the GTD Workflow
        2. Understanding the Capture Tools
        3. Knowing the Organising Tools
        4. Checking Out the Core GTD Concepts
        5. Reconnecting and Reflecting: The Weekly Review
        6. Getting Familiar with GTD Tools
      5. Chapter 11: Fur ther Productivity Techniques
        1. The Pomodoro Technique
        2. Slowing Down to Speed Up
        3. ‘Don’t Break the Chain’
        4. Adopting New Habits
        5. Personal Kanban
    6. Part IV: Productivity at Work
      1. Chapter 12: Getting Down to Business
        1. Introducing the Productive Team
        2. Running Productive Meetings
        3. Discovering Paper Productivity
        4. Streamlining to a Paperless Office
      2. Chapter 13: Task Management
        1. Introducing the Power of Lists
        2. Saying Goodbye to the Traditional To-Do List
        3. Introducing the Benefits of Task Management
        4. Choosing Your Task Management App
        5. Keeping Track of Your Time
      3. Chapter 14: Calendar Management
        1. Using Your Calendar to Get Things Done
        2. Figuring Out How to Use Your Calendar
      4. Chapter 15: Technology Management
        1. Mastering Email Management
        2. Staying Productive with Your Tablet
        3. Staying in Control of Social Media
        4. Managing Electronic Files
      5. Chapter 16: The Productive Freelancer
        1. Getting the Basics Right
        2. Outsourcing Like a Pro
        3. Building Your Virtual Team
        4. Managing the Virtual Team
    7. Part V: Personal Productivity
      1. Chapter 17: Productivity at Home
        1. Productivity for Parents
        2. Focusing Your Attention on Work-Life Balance
        3. Raising Productive Children
        4. Organising the Home Office
      2. Chapter 18: Creating a Clutter-Free World
        1. Living a Life of Simplicity
        2. Decluttering Your Home and Office
        3. Maintaining the Order
      3. Chapter 19: Productivity for Students
        1. Taking and Storing Notes
        2. Scheduling Your Time
        3. Creating Good Habits
        4. Getting the Budget Right
        5. Networking Like a Pro
        6. Checking Out Some Clever Tips for Clever Students
    8. Part VI: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Focus and Get More Done
        1. Decluttering Your Life
        2. Getting It Out of Your Head
        3. Being Mindful Every Day
        4. Redefining Your Goals and Priorities
        5. Getting Some Fresh Air
        6. Using the Pomodoro Technique
        7. Listening to Music with Headphones
        8. Unplugging from the Distractions
        9. Exercising Every Day
        10. Remembering to Breathe
      2. Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Beat Procrastination
        1. Scheduling the First Step
        2. Getting Better Goals
        3. Eating Frogs
        4. Eating Elephants
        5. Creating Positive Habits
        6. Using the Ten-Minute Rule
        7. Embracing Accountability
        8. Learning to Delegate
        9. Dealing with Lingering Tasks
        10. Understanding When Procrastination Is Okay
      3. Chapter 22: Ten Best Productivity Resources
        1. Lifehack
        2. Zen Habits
        3. RescueTime
        4. The Pomodoro Technique
        5. SaneBox
        6. ‘The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business’ by Charles Duhigg
        7. ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity’ by David Allen
        8. ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’ by Timothy Ferris
        9. ‘Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience’ by Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi
        10. ‘Focus: The Art of Clear Thinking’ by Valerie Pierce
    9. About the Author
    10. Cheat Sheet
    11. Connect with Dummies
    12. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Productivity For Dummies
  • Author(s): Ciara Conlon
  • Release date: March 2016
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119099529